Junction THE TRINITY AFFAIR | TSC & THR Junction of Commenor and New Plympto

[Ghruna]

Zaiya Ceti

"What thinking puzzle is this?" Ghruna said.

Her tone was almost accusing the Jedi of trickery. If they were great warriors why would they avoid the fight. It had to be mind games.

"What are you doing with those devices?" she hissed.

Ghruna's flared red tail gave another sharp flick of frustration.

"I have already said I will let you live," the maldrani huffed.

Her attitude was very different to Jhyrack now. The logic was similar. He had delighted in offering Aris the chance to try and wound him. But the king of a third of all maldrani had laughed and delighted in the contest. Ghruna had pressure to prove herself. She had claimed no mates, won no battles, defeated no warriors of aclaim.

"It is like... I think I am taller than you. But to find out you must stand next to me and measure. Fighting is the same."

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

The Trinity Affair: Objective One
Interacting with: Lorn Reingard Acier Moonbound
Open to TSC characters to interrupt at any time!

For a moment, Sibylla simply stood there.

Ace's words fell into the corridor one after another, like a long chain of foolish, idiotic, blind excuses, that made something inside her chest twist painfully tight. She had watched him speak without interruption, her hazel eyes fixed upon him with a steely scrutiny that might have seemed like composure to anyone who did not know her well. Even Knight Reingard's words and presence seemed to fade, the chaos that surrounded them and the danger in the ship.

Because inside Sibylla's mind, her memory had already begun to unravel.

She remembered Roon.

The first time she had met him there, when the galaxy had still seemed simpler in the way that only distant problems ever do. He had been sharp-tongued then too, guarded and difficult, but there had been something beneath it -- something restless and wounded that had made her believe there was still a man there trying very hard not to lose himself.

Then Tandem III.

Dust, fire, impossible odds, and the strange beginnings of trust that had grown between them in the spaces where neither of them had quite intended it to.

Then Naboo.

Where for a brief moment, she had allowed herself to think that perhaps the galaxy did not always have to break people who tried to do the right thing.

Then Taris.

And the things he had confessed to her about Dathomir. The regret. The quiet horror in his voice when he spoke about the choices he had made there. The shame that had clung to him and how he had hated what he had done.

She had believed that mattered.

The memory lurched forward again.

Roon again.

When he had lashed out at her. When he had told her to leave. When she had walked away, believing that perhaps space was what he needed to remember who he wanted to be.

Then Rishi.

When they had found each other again at the edge of the galaxy, standing beneath foreign stars and the promise of something that almost felt like understanding.

And the words he had spoken there clear as day.

Like I said… I've already felt what it's like to cross a line and hate myself for it. I don't ever want to live there again. If I start slipping… you'll see it.

And I'll listen.

Sibylla's jaw tightened and her eyes never left him.

"So another lie then? That you knew what it felt like to cross a line and hate yourself for it."

Her gaze hardened.

"That you didn't want to live there again."

Her voice dropped further.

"That you would listen when I saw you slipping."

A breath left her slowly, though the tremor beneath it betrayed the anger coiling tightly in her chest.

"That I would not lose you."

Sibylla's eyes searched his face, though part of her already knew what she would find.

"Do you remember that part, Ace?"

The corridor seemed very quiet.

"You told me I would not have to chase you down."

Her lips curved faintly, but it wasn't in amusement.

No, it was in recognition.

"And yet here I am."

The words were soft, but the weight behind them was unmistakable.

"The fool. Chasing."

For a moment, she simply looked at him. Then something colder settled behind her eyes. A hardening of awareness.

"I suppose you were right after all," she said. "How can I lose someone… who I already lost?"

The comparison rose and she did not stop it. Ironic really, how it had come to this. Why did it always seem to come to this?

"You are no different than Lysander."

The name hung between them edged with tension as much as grief.

"Only this time," Sibylla continued, her voice steady again, "you are quite correct about one thing."

That hazel gaze did not waver.

"I will not blame myself for it."

Her chest rose as she took a quiet breath.

"No.... this one is entirely yours." the edge of her voice grew with uncanny sharpness in her bluntness, "You made the choice."

She studied him for another moment and then the memory surfaced again where he had confessed murdering those who had killed his mother..

"You once told me," Sibylla said, her tone quieter now, "that what frightened you most about Dathomir was not what you had done…"

Her hazel eyes locked onto his.

"But that you felt nothing while doing it." Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "That you feared becoming a slave to your emotions....a monster."

Silence stretched between them.

"Well," Sibylla said softly, her gaze unflinching, "There is your answer... because instead of choosing differently…You are choosing to become exactly that. To be a slave to your emotions."

She slowly shook her head once.

"I suppose that was my folly." The words came with a quiet resignation now. "Believing you were more than what you showed yourself to be."

Despite everything she had seen. Despite everything he had told her. Despite everything she had believed.

"Yes," she murmured. "That was my folly."

And with that, Sibylla stepped forward. Not toward him, but past him.

She did not look back.

"Thank you, Ace," she said calmly as she moved down the corridor, her voice carrying faintly through the dim emergency lights. "You are a most excellent teacher."

Her footsteps continued down the passage.

"I admit I can be slow. Stubborn." A faint pause. "But I do learn."

A nerve along her jaw twitched and a pang of disappointment, frustration, exasperation, but most of all, heartache, clashed within her. Determination rose next, aware that there were other lives at stake here. She couldn't keep trying to fight over someone who refused to see the growing rot in front of him because of his pride and foolishness.

"You have your methods." The corridor opened ahead. "I have mine."

And with that, the Voice of Naboo disappeared down the darkened hall with purposeful stride. There were still people aboard the Trinity who needed saving.

And Sibylla would not waste another moment chasing ghosts.

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Acier Moonbound​

Lorn didn't interrupt. He stood off to the side, a datapad in hand, thumb moving across it in slow, deliberate taps. His attention looked divided, but it wasn't. He heard every word. Felt every shift in the Force as Sibylla tore through whatever defenses Acier had left.

It was enough. More than enough. Lorn didn't look up when the message finished sending. The soft confirmation blinked once on the screen before he set the datapad aside.

Too far gone, he thought. Not lost. Not yet. But close.

Sibylla passed him without a glance. He watched her go, the tension in her wake lingering. There was something final in her steps. Lorn let out a quiet breath and pushed himself off the wall.

Then he walked toward Acier. He stopped just in front of him, close enough now that there was no mistaking the intent. For a moment, he said nothing. Just studied him. The anger. The certainty. The darkness pressing at the edges.

He knew that look. Too well.

Lorn reached out and placed a hand on Acier's shoulder. "I am disappointed in you." The words were quiet. No weight forced into them. His grip tightened slightly. "But I will be there for you when you come out of it."

A small pat against his shoulder. Like this wasn't the end of anything. Lorn stepped back, letting his hand fall away. He held Acier's gaze for a moment longer.

Then he turned and walked out into the corridor.

Three steps.

Four.

He stopped.

Something in his chest tightened, just slightly. Enough to make him turn his head back over his shoulder. Acier was still there. Standing in the office. For a second, Lorn just looked at him.

Then his hand moved. The saber came free in one smooth motion. A flash of yellow ignited the dim corridor, and in the same breath he drove the hilt hard into the control panel beside the door.

Sparks burst. The blast door slammed shut between them.

A narrow strip of reinforced glass remained, just enough to see through. Just enough to catch the look on Acier's face. Lorn held it for a second. Then the blade snapped off. Silence settled again.

He turned away. At the far end of the corridor, Sibylla stood already moving, Republic soldiers rushing past her, weapons drawn. Lorn stepped forward to meet them.

"Keep him in there," he said, voice steady as the soldiers moved to secure the sealed door. A brief glance back. "Until we have control of the vessel."

He sighed. "Then place him under arrest."

 

[Connel Vanagor]

OPERATION SILENT REQUIEM
STAR CRUISER TRINITY
OBJ 1

Omega Squad Every Day Gear Locations

• Michael, Gabriel, Azrael, Sariel, Raphael, Jeremiel, Connel, Raguel [Seraphim AI]
  [Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]
• 
  Rides
  
  • "Enterprise" Station Ship
  • Vigilant Reaper
  • Null Vector
  • Speederbike
  • Iron Psalm
  Gear/Armor
  
  
  • Gear(“Bodycam” Datapad, UAD Drone, link to Seraphim AI and Nanotech included)
  • Lightblaster
  • Shortsabers (“Night” and “Day”)
  • Throwing Lightknives
  • Force Blinding Flashbangs
  • RI-17 Rifle-w-MS-0412 Grenade Launcher
  SURGICAL - CRYBERNETIC IMPLANTS
  
  • Repli Implants that would be for the limbs
  • Bonemer enhancements to strengthen structure of the body
  • Muscle enhancements.
  • Hemo enhancements for blood flow
  • Hawkeye implants for eyes
  • Advanced Medical Implant
  • Scentzy
  • Injected Nanotech upgrades
  
  
  
• Shadow Sanctuary - Enterprise

The Trinity was beginning to feel… wrong. Not broken. Not failing. Wrong.

Down on Deck 12, in an Auxiliary Corridor, a Sith patrol moved cautiously down the dim hallway. Three of them. Blades ignited. Red light carved through the dark like warning signs written in fire. They were Acolytes at best. Pawns really. The lead Sith paused.

“Something’s here.”

Behind them—A door hissed open.

They spun. Nothing. Just an empty maintenance room. The door slid shut again. One of them frowned. “That wasn’t—”

FWOOOSH

Every sanitation unit on the deck flushed simultaneously.

Loud. Violent. Echoing. The sound rolled through the corridor like a tidal wave of mechanical indignity. The Sith froze.

“…what.”

Raguel, meanwhile, was busy crouching beside an open panel, fingers dancing across a live interface. Her HUD flickered as she injected false telemetry into the system. Okay… let’s make this interesting.

She rerouted internal motion sensors. Dozens of fake signatures lit up across the ship. Running. Fighting. Climbing through vents. Go chase your ghosts, boys.

She smirked.

Meanwhile, Jeremiel was calmer. Precise. Surgical. He leaned against a bulkhead, datapad tethered into the ship. Let’s give them something believable.

He created staggered system pings. Not random. Not chaotic. Plausible. A door locking here. A camera glitch there. A heat signature just barely visible. He exhaled slowly. They’ll think they’re catching up.

A beat. They won’t be.

Gabriel worked in silence. No theatrics. No wasted motion. A slicing spike slid into a junction port. His visor reflected lines of cascading code. Sith encryption. Aggressive. Layered. Clever. He tilted his head slightly.

Not bad. Then his fingers moved. And the system started… unraveling.

[First subsystem compromised,] the AI whispered across the squad’s comms. Lighting grid. Transferred. Locked. Hidden. [Second subsystem… environmental control.]

Another lock. Another silent takeover. The ship wasn’t failing. It was being reclaimed.

They were able to do their thing because the rest of the team were doing theirs. Michael moved at point. Blaster low. Eyes scanning. Raphael followed like a walking tank wrapped in patience. A flicker overhead. Lights cut. Then came back.

Michael muttered: Yeah… that’s not creepy at all.

Raphael’s voice rumbled. They’re starting to notice.

Right on cue—Footsteps ahead. Fast. Searching. A Sith patrol rounded the corner—and froze. Because the hallway behind them went dark. Completely. Like something had swallowed the light.

Michael didn’t fire. Didn’t move. Because—Connel. He was already gone. The Sith felt it before they saw him. That shift in the air. That instinct that says: you are no longer the hunter.

One of them turned—Too slow. A shadow detached from the darkness. A flash of Indigo—Then silence. No scream. No clash. Just two bodies lowering to the floor like their strings had been cut.

The third Sith ignited his blade wildly—“SHOW YOURSELF—”

A hand caught his wrist. Firm. Unyielding. Close. Too close. A voice came from behind the mask. Quiet. Controlled. Certain. You already missed your chance.

A crack of movement—And the corridor fell silent again.

The patrol never made it to them. Michael exhaled slowly. …I’m never getting used to that.

Raphael gave a faint chuckle. Are you supposed to?

Across the Trinity— Doors opened when they shouldn’t. Closed when they tried not to. Lights flickered against commands. Cameras looped empty hallways. One Sith slammed a control panel. “Why can’t I access—”

The panel sparked. Locked.

Denied.

[Core access at thirty percent.] He didn’t look up.[Keep them busy.]

Azrael’s voice crackled in. [Oh, I’ve got something for that.]

Azrael planted a compact device along a choke point. ION charge. Directional. Nasty.He patted it like a loyal pet. Stay.

He slipped back into the shadows. Moments later—A squad of Sith reinforcements stormed through the corridor—And crossed the threshold. BOOM—WHUMP A pulse of blue energy erupted. Not explosive. Not fiery.

But devastating.

Every system on them died instantly. Lightsabers flickered out. Armor went dark. Bodies dropped. Azrael peeked around the corner. Night night.

SERAPHIM’s voice returned. [Fifty percent of ship systems are now under our control.]

A pause. Then— [Sith command pathways in three sections of the Trinity are beginning to destabilize.]

Michael checked the tactical overlay. Red markers shifting. Converging. They’re adapting.

Gabriel didn’t stop working. Good.

Raguel grinned over comms. Raguel[Means they’re nervous.][/COLOR]

Jeremiel added calmly: Means they’re making mistakes.

Connel stepped forward from the shadows. The mask tilted slightly. They know we’re here. A beat.

Then—Now they’re afraid of where.

[Seventy percent system control.] The AI paused. Then added, almost thoughtfully: [They are no longer hunting.] A flicker across the map. Sith forces repositioning. Consolidating.

Preparing. [They are preparing for confrontation.]

A slow grin spread across Michael’s face behind the mask. Finally. He looked at the squad. Alright.

Blaster came up. Let’s give them one.

And just like that… The haunting phase ends.

The hunt begins.

TAGS • ARE • OPEN
Personal Effects - Omega Squad Loadouts​

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Tamsin Starfall

Master San Tekka reeled when struck by the powerful Force scream. One of the eye lenses on his mask cracked from so much pressure but its cortosis lining which isolated the Jedi's thoughts also preserved his skull, blunting Tamsin's sound wave from bursting ear drums or giving him a concussion. Her psychic attack nevertheless left Zark half blind and unable to prevent the Sith acolyte from drawing their lightsaber.

"I don't negotiate," he ignored the copper taste of blood in his mouth, "With weapons of mass destruction."

Closing the distance between them with a few purposeful strides, Zark brought his lightsaber down in both hands like a falling avalanche. He was bigger than his opponent and with the Force as his ally stronger than he looked. Disarming the Sith with brute force seemed like the fastest way to end this so that he could proceed with his rescue mission.

"There's always hope for a second chance. I have no wish to harm you, child of Dathomir."

Golden plasma energy reflected off a faceless mask. It altered the Jedi Master's voice into something more robotic. Detached so much from emotion that Tamsin might as well be speaking to a protocol droid. San Tekka was beginning to drift into a deep state of battle meditation where focus determined his reality.

"Turn back from this folly."

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique slowly rolled the wrist of her right hand as a means of acceptance or perhaps a shrug. The man made 'influence' sound scandalous. Reminded her too much of her interactions with the Mandalorians. If they could they'd have avoided her altogether, which was unfortunate. Too concerned about her tying them in knots with words. Concerned she might convince them of something not quite so militant? Well, that was the point. Much like her Sith friend, here.

The Chancellor's smile surged at Lysander's remarks about the differences. It said as much as she feared. The Sith were not paying attention. Now, a finely manicured nail tapped the top of the table slowly and with almost metronome-like regularity. This after they'd just agreed not to get matters muddled with the Imperial Confederation mix-up. A matter she had deliberately mentioned not just to put it aside as she claimed, but to bring attention to it having occurred at all.

"Well said, though I do not believe it any more sustainable than what Darkwire sought to accomplish. From where I sit your structures seem built on the backs of very specific people. People with very specific agendas. That is only a natural outcome of a system wherein might makes right, after all. It is not a framework so much as a yolk for those tasked to carry the burden -- as much of a chain as it is a freedom from meeting the demands of others."

"There is nothing to say that our people cannot find a means of surviving together, Envoy. War does not have to be the inevitable and unavoidable outcome of sharing a galaxy. This Chancellor would be interested in exploring possibilities to bring stability and fulfillment to the masses, if the Sith Covenant were of the same mind."

"Though this may prove challenging if those specific people do not agree with it. There may come a time when what happened in Lola Sayu must happened again, and perhaps with far more resources committed to the task. I would rather avoid it. Negotiating an equitable solution between parties has always been my intention as Director or as Chancellor. It is more efficient, and lasts longer." Though she did not favor it, there were times when a little coercion was appropriate. Namely, to emphasize -- as it seemed not earlier -- that the Republic was not someone to be trampled over or mistaken as weak.

Lysander von Ascania​

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Weapons: x x x | Companion: Domxite
Interacting with: Ghruna

Zaiya paused mid… gentle poking of a highly volatile energy emitter. Rosy golden fingers hovered, then slowly retracted as if the panel might bite her. Across her skin, her mottled stripes flickered grey with confusion, then warmed into thoughtful amber beneath the calm blue glow.

"…it is not a puzzle," she said softly, as if explaining something important to a particularly loud storm. The Lovalla gave a small tilt of her colorful head. "…well. It is. But not the trick kind."

Those dozen bracelets chimed as she crouched, tapping the seam of the shield generator. The stripes along her arm brightened with curiosity, gold highlights glimmering as she pondered.

"If I adjust the frequency–no, that would probably make it worse… oh." She blinked, then looked back up at Ghruna. "Oh! I am trying to understand how this works," she clarified, gesturing lightly to the shield. "It is very clever. It hums differently near the relay nodes."

After a second, she added, thoughtful musing, amber bioluminescent lights dancing over her mesmerizing skin.

"…why must fighting be the way you measure things?" She knew Epicanthix fought to appreciate the form. and Eshani to communicate.

"You said it is like measuring height," she continued, thoughtful amber deepening. "But… when people measure height, they do not stab each other to confirm it."

A pause, then Zaiya gave a wry curve of her lips.

"…usually."

She leaned closer to the emitter, squinting as her fingers hovered, tracing invisible patterns above the surface.

"…could you not spar?" the Lovalla Knight asked lightly, genuinely curious as the Lovalla's mottled spots gave another intrigued swirl of color-shifting hues, "Test strength without ending a life?"

Those opal blue eyes flicked back to Ghruna.

"A storm can prove how strong it is without destroying the entire forest. And two people can learn from each other without one of them… becoming compost."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: CSL Trinity

Equipment:
Apprentice Attire | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm

Sibylla's words landed, not enough to shake him, but they were there. Ace gave nothing back, there was no shift in his posture, or change in expression. Whatever they stirred, he buried it the same way he buried everything else.

It was better this way. She'd understand when it was done. His gaze followed her as she moved past him, watched her disappear into the corridor without looking back.

Lorn's hand on his shoulder pulled his attention away. Ace didn't respond or acknowledge what he said, he just watched as Lorn stepped away, as he walked, as he stopped... as he turned. Ace's eyes narrowed slightly, tracking the movement, the decision being made in real time.

Then he saw the flash of yellow. Ace tensed, ready to react to an attack, and in the same breath - Lorn drove the hilt into the control panel. The blast door slammed shut between them.

Ace stepped forward instinctively, just a few steps. If he wasn't already livid at the audacity, he might have laughed. This? This was what he thought would hold him? Abandoning him was one thing, he expected it. Accepted it. But actively working against him?

He exhaled once through his nose, slow and controlled, and then the control snapped. The Dark side of the Force surged violently, tearing through him as he reached for it.

His rage rose, feeding the pull. Memories crashed together without order or mercy: Bonadan, months on the run, his mother's death, the loss of his arm, his father, Tapani, Coruscant. Everything layered over the hollow grind of the Covenant. It burned like a sun.

Yellow bled into Ace's eyes and the blast door shuddered, screaming under the weight of the Force. Metal twisted, bolts tearing free as the entire frame ripped outward under the strain. With a violent wrench, the door tore from its housing and slammed into the opposite wall in a thunderous crash.

The Republic soldiers moved immediately, their blasters came up and Ace ignited his lightsaber - blue light snapping to life. His free hand lashed forward and the Force hit them like a hammer. Their bodies lifted, then were thrown down the corridor in a violent cascade of armor and metal. The walls rang with the impact as they were scattered, broken formation, broken momentum.

Ace stepped through the ruined threshold into the corridor, lightsaber humming at his side, the Dark side still coiling tight around him.

His gaze found Lorn.

"All you had to do... was walk. Away."

Sibylla Abrantes | Lorn Reingard ​

 

[Lorn Reingard]

Tags: Acier Moonbound | Sibylla Abrantes​

"See to it Lady Abrantes is properly protected." Lorn didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. One of the nearby guards nodded and moved at once, falling in beside Sibylla as she continued down the corridor.

The shift behind him pulled his attention back. The Force twisted. Darkness surged from the room in a violent wave. Lorn felt it crash into him. His jaw tightened.

He is lost. The thought came fast. Too fast.

Lorn stepped toward Sibylla, closing the distance in two quick strides. "I will bring him back," he said, low and steady. "But you must stay out of the way."

His hand brushed lightly against her shoulder as he passed, just enough to feel the faint shimmer of her shield flare against his touch. Good. She'd live through this. He gave a small nod, then turned. And let the Force settle.

He drew in a slow breath. Grounded himself. The chaos around him narrowed into something focused. Controlled. His hand found the hilt at his side. Ahead, the Republic soldiers raised their weapons, forming a line in front of the sealed door. Tension hung thick in the corridor.

Then the door screamed. Metal buckled inward. Bolts tore loose with a violent shriek. The entire frame warped, then ripped free in a blast of force that shook the deck beneath their feet. The door tore loose and slammed into the far wall.

The soldiers didn't stand a chance. The wave hit them like a hammer. Bodies lifted, thrown back in a storm of armor and limbs. Blasters clattered across the floor. The corridor rang with the impact.

Lorn didn't move. The Force pressed against him, but he held his ground. His boots stayed planted. His breathing steady. He had felt worse.

When the dust settled, the corridor fell into a strange, ringing silence. Just the two of them. Acier stepped forward through the wreckage, blue blade ignited, the dark side coiled tight around him. Lorn watched him approach. Slowly, he drew his own saber and ignited it. Golden light filled the space between them. He brought it up in both hands. No flourish. No wasted motion. Just readiness.

"All you had to do… was walk. Away."

Lorn's grip tightened slightly. "I'm not walking away from you."

The words came without hesitation. And then he moved. No warning. No pause. Lorn surged forward, closing the distance in a burst of speed. His blade came down in a heavy overhand strike, carrying the full weight of a seasoned warrior behind it. He wanted Acier to feel it.

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

The Trinity Affair: Objective One
Interacting with: Lorn Reingard Acier Moonbound
Open to TSC characters to interrupt at any time!

The moment did not break so much as it snapped.

The blast door shrieked as it tore free, metal twisting like it had no right to resist him. The Force slammed through the corridor in a violent surge, and Sibylla felt it hit her like a physical blow, stealing the air from her lungs. Her shield flared instinctively, a ripple of blue-white light catching the worst of it, but it did nothing to alleviate the cold realization already settling deep in her chest.

She saw him.

And Shiraya help her, she wished she hadn't.

Not Ace.

Not the man she had met on Roon, rough around the edges but still trying. Not the one who had planted trees with her through Tandem III, or spoken in troubled, tearful regret of Dathomir, or the one who had promised her on Rishi -- promised -- that he would never let himself become that again.

Aurelian's voice surfaced from the rear of her mind, echoing his warning back on Parrlay.

He's not well. You feel it. I see it. And I don't trust him. Not around you. I don't care how long you've known him.

The pang through her chest was enough to stagger her.

"Ace, enough!" The words tore from her mouth down the corridor. It was not the Voice of Naboo that called out to him then. It was Sibylla.

But it changed nothing.

The guards moved immediately. Hands caught her arm in a firm grasp, pulling her back even as the corridor trembled around them.

"Your Excellency -- we have to go, now!"

"No--!" she fought it, turning back, her gaze locking forward as if she could anchor herself to him through sheer will alone because she could still see them. Through the flickering emergency lights and the drifting smoke.

Blue and gold. Ace and Lorn. Facing each other.

For one suspended, unbearable moment, everything else fell away. The mission. The ship. The galaxy itself. None of it mattered.

Only that.
Only him.

"Ace!" she cried out again, her voice straining in desperation.

The override panel sparked under a guard's hurried hands. Systems groaned, resisted, then finally obeyed. The blast doors began to close, slow and heavy, sealing the corridor inch by inch.

"No-- wait--!" Sibylla strained against the guards, but they did not falter, pulling her back, step by step, even as her eyes refused to leave the narrowing space.

She saw Lorn move.

Saw Ace standing there, wrapped in something dark and terrible, unmoved by anything she had said.

And then the blast door sealed shut.

Sealing with cold durasteel the echo of what she had just lost.

 

[Kito]

//: Varin Mortifer //:

Unnecessary slaughter.

First sign of a sith.

It was enough to forgo the usual rounds of questioning that she was taught. Her master would be upset, but at the end of it all, the blade was her true master. Once it was over, once the Penance was finished, she would be…

Free.

Kito had rounded the corner after hearing the terror. Emergency lights flickered down the corridor. She didn't need the light to see; her own innate ability for night vision was enough. She made out the figure, several more wandering and making quick work for their master. Kito remembered Brosi; she had played with the subordinates instead of striking hard… fast at the head of the snake.

This time would be different.

Tilting her head to the side, she smelled it. Ash and fire — was he like her? She smothered the hint of excitement in her chest at the prospect of finding another shaper, someone who might be a survivor of the raid on her clan… it was too much.

Especially if this was one of her kin… he was already lost to darkness. Shaking her head, she remained hidden, her skills as a promising Jedi Shadow growing with each mission. The Force bent around her was bound tight to her form, muted.

She crept, continuing down, following the carnage. Any other Jedi would have stepped in to defend the innocent. It bothered her not to, but if she gave away her positioning too soon, the Sith would be upon her.

The element of surprise would be gone.

He finished his last kill, the flames and ash rolling off his cloak. In that moment, Kito decided now was the time to reveal herself. From behind him, she drew her blade. The odachi's white-hot flame burst from the hilt the moment the steel touched air.

Her shape came next, sparks flickering with each breath. She wanted to be angry, hate the one in front of her. Instead, she let whatever she felt dump into the churning heat in her belly. He would be nothing but another tally mark on her blade.

No words, but the Force spoke enough for her. It fueled the flames at her feet as she darted forward at blinding speed. He would sense her, and she was ready for his guard. The long blade began low, sweeping upwards in a diagonal fashion - she aimed to cut him through, finish the fight before it started.

The flames followed the steel as the speed of her strike sang through the air.

One more Sith.

One more step closer to being free.

 

[Ghruna]

"Test strength without ending a life?"

Those opal blue eyes flicked back to Ghruna.

"A storm can prove how strong it is without destroying the entire forest. And two people can learn from each other without one of them… becoming compost."

"Will you please undo this shields so that I can hit you with something!" Ghruna begged. Anything to stop the little bird chirping at her.

"I promise I will not kill you. I will not..."

Ghruna shook her head back and forth, exasperated, as she sought for any kind of bargaining chip she might have. Her tail gabe another frustrated flick.

It caught the shield. A sharp jolt ran through her and she released a string of curses in her native maldrani.

"I won't even break a limb!" she promised. "But you must come at me with everything you have. Because you are small and that is only fair."

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Dominique Vexx​

On the verge of another breath, Lysander settled into the embrace of the chair; his hands remained planted, fingers resting along the table’s edge.

“All civilizations hinge on their people; the difference is whether that reliance leads to collapse or adaptation. So when you describe something built on specific people, I don’t disagree. I question whether that’s where most systems stop refining themselves. Power, at its core, is less a privilege and far more a constraint. The greater one’s power, the smaller their margin for error becomes.” Lips pressed together, buying him a second. "A yoke is assumed to bind those who bear it.. but in truth, the tightest bindings fall on those expected not to fail. In practice, they’re the ones with the least freedom to misstep. Naturally, from there, the system narrows around them to ensure everything continues to hold. Equilibrium can be a fragile thing.”

“Conflict does not have to be the inevitable outcome of sharing a galaxy. Such arrangements tend to hold, when each side understands the limits the other relies on, and can operate within them without disruption.”

Before the thought was finished, his thumb and forefinger rose to the bridge of his nose. The folds of his coat whispered open from the shift, revealing a curved lightsaber hilt. Waves of violence spread across the ship, the disturbances advancing. The myriad of emotions were registered without any need to overthink them.

“We’ve spent some time discussing how structures respond. It would appear we’re on the cusp of witnessing theory meet reality.”

His gaze slipped toward the others nearby, then found its way back to her.

No amount of speculation could thwart what was approaching. Specialists offered no shield here. And the number of Sith aboard told its own grim tale. Not to mention, two of the Triumvirate were nearby.. which added a rather volatile layer to the calculus.

“When that happens, Chancellor Vexx, remaining in proximity would be advisable. Best to keep the variables from multiplying.”

Leaning forward next, elbows rested on the surface. Until then, the emissary would remain engrossed in their conversation. For all the abstraction.. he believed it worth finishing. Because ones like this were rarely presented twice.

“That aside.. I don’t doubt the Republic’s capacity to commit resources where it deems necessary. At the same time, I don’t find it particularly concerning.” The head tilted while examining his own phrasing. “Moments like Lola Sayu tend to mark the point where systems stop absorbing pressure and channels it outward.”

Another lift found its way into his expression. “From my own studies, I’ve found those moments less interesting for what they accomplish and more for what they reveal. Strength doesn’t have to be in question. It’s about all the overlooked details that were missed before the escalation became necessary. That makes the story far richer. Would you disagree?”

 

[Varin Mortifer]

VARIN MORTIFER

Equipment: Durum Mantle | Black Blade of Chandrila | Eye of The Dragon | Heavy Sith Mace


OBJ:1​

The last officer dropped with a sputtering gag as his windpipe collapsed under Varin’s grip. The force had taken hold of the man's throat and applied just enough pressure to finish the job, no more, no less. He was not here to be excessive, he was here to send a message. Likely that message was received by many, they were never truly safe.

His glaring visor blared its red hue over the many faces that cowered from him. Screams and trampling ensuing within the halls. He merely watched them, studied them.

It was simply shocking to him how unprepared people could be in such gatherings. The distraction itself drew his attention.

He almost did not feel it…

Almost as if bodily reflex his body twisted over his heels his arm driven forward as a white shield of plasma erupted from his gauntlet, crackles of crimson bled through the inside arcing off the outer walls containing the energy and concentrating it into a surface that blocked the blade from driving any closer.

His head tilted as sparks erupted from her white blade and his bleeding shield, a curious tone about his body, unhurried.

“Interesting…”

His voice was deep, distorted from his helm as the rebreather kicked in.

“You are the second Jedi I have fought that preferred to cower in the shadows.”

His gaze fell upon the flames and sparks that trailed behind her body.

“But the fires of judgment brightens every corner.”

As he spoke dark red flames began to lick up his shoulders, like fingers that grazed over his shoulders. The smoldering cloak taking a new shape. Multiple smoking superheated tendrils slithering along the floor.

His wrist flicked, bringing the dark black blade over the edge of his shield as he took a wide battle stance behind the wall of plasma he held on his wrist. The blade ready for a counter offensive as he prepared for battle.

“What fuels your flames, I wonder.”

His body flexed and popped as his back arched, the force rushed through his system hardening his very flesh. The runes that were carved upon his body now glowed with a heat that formed the same patterns on the outer surface of the armor.

Kito​

 

[Dominique Vexx]

"If I am to be honest, Envoy, I fear what might be overlooked are obvious solutions to obvious problems. The Sith Covenant intends to hold what it has claimed by any means. The High Republic is not one to encourage or accept a dictator or a war lord. The seemingly natural conclusion is that our two governments must clash."

"That need not be the case. In fact, I hope certain elements would understand just what a waste of resources such a conflict would be compared to what we could accomplish together. 'Chance' encounters like this one are few and far between; I hope next time we are able to come together with the expectation of dialogue rather than the mere humoring of one another from... unplanned happenstance." Dominique still didn't believe all of this was the result of dumb luck. They were both there. The computer happened to seal them in. The security system happened to go haywire. Any one of those were reasonable. All of them simultaneously, however?

"As for variables," the Chancellor's chin raised a hair as she placed one hand gently atop the other, "I prefer to define them in my favor, rather than trust to chance."

The rayshields around several Republic representatives that weren't locked in with any Sith delegates suddenly snapped off. Not a single one with only Sith occupants experienced such a boon. Dominique didn't even turn to look in their direction. "If everyone will kindly remain where they are... The corridors outside may still be perilous. Best to wait for an escort," she announced for their benefit in case they thought to seek 'safety' back on their transport. Not that the doors would allow them to depart, but why give the Sith the pleasure of watching people beat against them?

One variable had been removed while another invisible to the eye had been placed on the board.

Dominique smile across at Lysander. "This ship may be on the cusp of experiencing a very sudden loss in power. Would you care to join us aboard our ship? We could continue our discussion in a more comfortable setting. Perhaps we'd get around to discussing the particulars of certain, nearby worlds."

There was no need to admit the 'show' was of limited influence. Half of diplomacy was knowing when to bluff. Others were in the process of finding a means of disabling the system and securing the ship, but if it went down all at once there were certain people in the room that would not restrain themselves. A delightful fact Lysander had hinted at by inviting her to remain close. Thoughtful. Though Dominique had this minor problem of needing to worry about her allies' well being as well, not that she'd expect a Sith to understand that precarious condition. Hopefully their forces would make use of limited control to secure a route for when the 'sabotage' group assumed control.

Lysander von Ascania
Ayumi Pallopides | Her | Vestra Tane | Liana Organa | Gram Arranda | Balun Dashiell | Ghruna | Corazona von Ascania | Aurelian Veruna | Arris Windrun | Zaiya Ceti​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: CSL Trinity

Equipment:
Apprentice Attire | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm

Sibylla's voice reached him. It sounded like someone shouting through water, barely registering. Ace's focus never left Lorn.

But there was a flicker beneath it all, faint and unwelcome. A voice that didn't belong to the moment.

Stop.

Why are you doing this?

These are your friends.

The thoughts surfaced, and was buried just as quickly beneath the weight of everything else. Fury. Purpose. The mission.

Lorn moved. Fast. It was a sudden burst that closed the distance in an instant, his blade already coming down with the full weight of his body behind it. Ace felt it, then saw it. The shift in the air, the intent carried through the Force before the strike even landed.

His lightsaber snapped up, blades meeting in a violent clash. The impact drove through his arms, Lorn wasn't holding back. Good.

Their blades locked. Ace held the line but he could feel the pressure behind Lorn's strike, the way the weight carried forward. But he didn't let it narrow his focus. The anger was there: burning, sharp, constant, but he didn't drown in it. Not like he did when he fought Remowa. This time he held it. Used it. Let it feed his strength without taking his control.

Still locked against him, Ace shifted his weight subtly, reading the structure of Lorn's stance. The forward drive. The distribution. He sent a sharp, driving kick toward Lorn's rear leg, aimed to break the base beneath him. He didn't wait to see the result.

Ace disengaged immediately, letting the pressure of the lock fall away as he pivoted off line. His footwork was tight as he slipped around the path of Lorn's descending blade instead of meeting it head on. Advantage of being a southpaw.

Positioned just off Lorn's left side, inside his guard, Ace's lightsaber came around in a powerful diagonal return, rising from low right to high left. His hips and shoulders drove through the motion in classic Djem So form.

Lorn Reingard​

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Dominique Vexx
​

“The concern is worth considering, even if what you're suggesting is only one of several plausible outcomes. It may be worth exploring diplomatic channels more deeply. Not an easy path, I'm certain, but one easily overlooked. More often than not, this is a pattern that repeats when those differences go unexamined for too long.”

Only moments before, he'd brought up the same strikingly similar point, but it slipped by without a single word. Intentionally, perhaps, which raised its own set of questions.

“If you’re wondering whether I played a role in setting this into motion, the truth is I didn't. Whether it’s chance or design tends to matter less than how it’s approached once it’s there. Most would've simply just passed through it. I chose not to."

He exhaled slowly through his nose, still leaning forward. “Dialogue, in the way you’re asking for, can be rare. That said, transparency would.. cultivate understanding, and understanding is what I'm after. Free from guesswork and assumptions.”

“Where I operate, missteps aren’t often afforded the chance to be corrected.” Not that he felt threatened. There was enough rapport with the Triumvirate for exceptions to be made.. but not enough to risk relying on them. Besides, they had only just met. Most would have made the same calculation.

A hand lifted slightly in the beginning of a gesture forming, before he let it fall away. “As do most.” Control was often a matter of perspective. Personally, it was a matter of allocation shaped by experience, particularly where Sith allies were concerned, given they had a tendency to hold their own in almost any situation. Of course, the one before him now warranted a different political consideration.

Beneath any of the crumbling rayshields, only the faces of Republic loyalists were taken in. Clearly no coincidence either. But Lysander held his position. There was no desire to shift or rise. Fingers lay limp, unmoving from their place. Only then did his gaze slowly rise to lock eyes with her once again.

“I find myself inclined to accept,” the words were placed carefully between them, “Though I imagine you can understand why stepping onto a Republic vessel might require a certain level of clarity on my end. I’m curious what that looks like from your side, Chancellor."

How the rest of this played out was uncertain. Because aboard the Trinity, Sith walked every deck.

​

 

[Delvin jeth]

Corazona von Ascania

Delvin stood there watching her and listening to her speak his cold calculating gaze as he scanned the energy wall. As he listened and studied. "If i was to enact a plan it would be alot more deadly and not get my allies trapped" delvin standing there. Studying getting through the shield barrier would be easy but the defense systems would be a different scenario.


"I am not a sith but I am a darksider lady ascenia and I am with the sith because it serves my goals i am somewhere in the middle of jedi and sith philosophy I have studied both immensely." He said as he turned my attention to her honestly "both philosophies have flaws" he said standing there as my hands disappeared behind my back as my hands interlocked. "Just because arkanians use logic doesn't mean we dont feel passion love or rage" delvin said standing there looking at her.

He stood there letting others do the heavy lifting happily as I conversed with the blond before him.

 

[Jorryn Fordyce]

// Lady Jorryn Fordyce //
// Objective I // Sabotage // Capture the Diplomats //
// Focus // Anet Raine //

---

---

The soft flickering of crimson light preluded the introduction of a silver-haired woman emerging through the blast doors that had all at once sealed the crew of the CSL Trinity within its depths. The lights had dimmed and failed within the bowels of the vessel as it drifted through the pitch of deep space.

Trapped like rats, this venture with the Sith Covenant felt more of a prize hunt than anything else. The diplomats of Chandrila caught unaware's by the tendrils that had wrapped around the vessel in the darkness of space. The Sith had fallen upon the Trinity like a plague wind, the lights that now illuminated the ship growing with the crimson of the Sith that now revealed their hands.

It had been some time since Jorryn had begun her association with the covenant, the faction having quickly outgrown the roots of those acolytes she watched over on Desevro so long ago now. The Blackwall of the Empire had provided comfort to the silver-haired Sith, yet the Covenant's actions had allowed her to shake off the excitement that she felt in her bones.

As satisfied as she was to simply conduct her research in the shadows of the Empire, occasionally branching out to test her abilities in person felt necessary.

And it had proven worth it to test such skills, as yet another security officer laid splayed out in front of her, the Zabrak's eyes rolled in the back of his skull as his own flesh riot against him. Their forces had clearly been caught off guard by the initial assault, unable to muster a force strong enough to force the Sith away from their targets.

The diplomats were ultimately the prize of today's mission, to capture whatever resistance Chandrila could muster before such rebellion could ever take root.

And so, the hunt would begin, though it would not be done alone. The Sith had spread out amongst the Trinity to blanket the ship in parties that would guarantee escape impossible, and Jorryn had with her a partner.

The similarly pale haired woman was unfamiliar to the Echani, not being part of the group that she had been watching over so long ago, yet the sign of new faces to her only showed the growing strength of the Covenant as they strengthened their grip upon the throat of the core worlds.

"They don't appear to be offering much resistance, do they?" Her eyes remained upon the felled security officer as the words turned to Anet Raine . "Perhaps they've joined their leaders cowering somewhere in the dark."

There was a disinterest in the words of the Sith as she spoke, her goals clearly falling away from capturing the diplomats. This was simply a test of her new strength instead of any true dedication to the mission. Still, she wouldn't fail to accomplish the goals that the covenant had assigned her. It wouldn't do to fail such missions so early on in this newfound partnership.

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Zaiya looked up from the panel. Then at Ghruna . Then back at the panel. The lovallas mottled spots flickered in light blue amusement, rippling into soft amber in musing as if her emotions were politely trying not to laugh too loudly.

"…you are asking me," Zaiya began slowly, rising to her feet and brushing her hands together, "to disable the only thing currently preventing you from… hitting me with something."

Behind her back, her fingers absently twisted one bracelet against another as her eyes flicked once more toward the emitter, mentally mapping its rhythm. The stripes along her arm warmed briefly to bright orange curiosity again before settling.

Then she looked back at Ghruna, studying her with open fascination.

"…but I am still a little confused," Zaiya continued, her tone light and thoughtful. "If you already believe you are stronger…"

A colorful hand gestured vaguely up and down between them.

"…why must you prove it by hitting me?"

Those mottled spots shifted to amber contemplation with a faint cyan of wryness.

"Would it not be more impressive," she offered gently, "to demonstrate that you could break me...but chose not to?"